Two Mothers
by SparklyTree3876
Summary: One shot. Lindsey mourns the death of her and Bruce's baby daughter. She receives an unexpected source of comfort from Mo'at.


Two Mothers  
By SparklyTree3876

Rating: G

Genre: Hurt/Comfort

Pairings: Eytukan/Mo'at (mentioned) and Jake/Neytiri (mentioned)

Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's an Avatar one shot for you to read. It popped into my head when I was thinking about Mo'at and how she might help a grieving human mother cope with the loss of her child. I honestly believe her compassion reaches so deep that she would comfort a mother of a different species that is intelligent and sentient like hers. On top of that, there are few fics that focus primarily on her. I wanted to try one that features this wise tsahik. I hope you enjoy this one shot. Any constructive criticism is welcome.

XXXXX

The sun beamed its rays on the forest one late autumn morning. A mother hexapede and her twin calves wandered through the dense undergrowth. The first calf butted the second in the side. Its sibling pushed it away. They faced each other with their heads lowered. They bumped them so lightly that it seemed they weren't even touching. They started chasing each other.

More than a year had passed since humans were exiled from Pandora, save for two hundred consisting of the Avatar Team, the medical staff, and various other RDA defectors. Under Jake's leadership, the Omaticaya found a new Hometree. This Hometree was three times as large as the previous one. It had much larger alcoves that possessed moss useful for bedding. The Omaticaya settled in very nicely. Jake and Norm worked hard to improve relations between humans and Na'vi. Their efforts paid off, which led to both species allowing visits at each other's homes.

The calves raced out in front of their mother, forcing her to stop in her tracks. The mother bleated loudly, which got their attention. The calves approached her. They bowed their heads in shame at hearing several disapproving bleats come from her. Their mother licked each of their faces. The calves raised their heads to nuzzle her affectionately. They resumed their walk through the forest.

The hexapedes came to a stream and approached its edge. They lowered their heads and proceeded to drink water. The first calf heard a soft sigh and looked up to see thirty-one-year-old Lindsey Lee flipping pages in a picture album while sitting on a log on the stream's other side. The second calf lifted its head to gaze at her. It and its sibling licked their lips while watching her.

Lindsey glanced at the hexapedes. Being Asian, she was petite and had somewhat of a muscular frame. Her raven black hair was long and braided down her back. Her eyes were hazel. A scar could be found in the middle of her left palm. A freckle was on the back of her right wrist. She wore a white tank top, dark brown pants, white socks, and black boots.

Lindsey turned back to her album, which was dark blue with a dragon on the front. She glanced at a picture of her holding her newborn daughter, Beverley, and her thirty-two-year-old boyfriend, Bruce Hamilton, by her side in the Hell's Gate maternity ward. Bruce had his arm around her and his cheek pressed against her temple as they smiled. He was African-American and tall with a muscular frame. His ebony black hair was braided against his head. His eyes were dark brown. He had on a white t-shirt and dark blue pants. Though the picture didn't show it, he was also wearing tan socks and white tennis shoes.

Lindsey touched Beverley, blinking twice. Beverley looked just like her mother with the exception of having her father's dark skin. Her tiny hands were curled into fists, which were up by her face. A light red pacifier was in her mouth. She had on a light pink cap and a light pink gown. She was wrapped in a dark red blanket. Lindsey let out a soft sniffle. Her eyes were a little red from crying.

"My little Beverley. You were so beautiful," Lindsey whispered.

Lindsey traced her fingertips over Beverley. She and Bruce had been on Pandora as members of the security team for six years prior to Jake's arrival. They were retired marines whose families had long military histories. They met when they enlisted in the Marines and started dating soon after. Lindsey's parents died in a subway fire a year before their departure, followed by Bruce's in an apartment fire five months later. Their main duty was protecting squads and miners from the Na'vi and wildlife. They occasionally flew Avatar Team members into the forest on research expeditions. Unlike many of their teammates, they shot at Na'vi and animals only in self-defense. Learning about the Na'vi from Grace led them to sympathize with their plight, though they kept this hidden from Quaritch and Selfridge.

A week after Jake's arrival, Lindsey learned she was three months pregnant with her and Bruce's first child. Quaritch took her off duty to ensure a healthy pregnancy. He allowed Bruce to take time off to attend doctor's appointments with her. Bruce didn't participate in the destruction of Old Hometree, but he and Lindsey learned about it from Max. The couple angrily confronted Selfridge and declared they quit. Bruce and thirty other marines helped the Avatar Team take over the main control room in which Max used an AMP suit to break into it. He, Lindsey, and the defected marines were allowed to stay on Pandora. Lindsey gave birth to Beverley on November 8, 2154. Beverly was a wonderful baby. She didn't cry unless she was hungry, needed changing, or wanted to be held. She was adored by both humans and Na'vi alike. Bruce and Lindsey even took her to Hometree a number of times with a fellow marine named Terrance Olaf providing transportation in a Samson.

Bruce and Lindsey's joy came crashing down when Beverly became ill with a lung infection on July 11, 2155 three days after she turned eight months old. Beverley's condition deteriorated and lapsed into a coma two days later. She entered into cardiac arrest after three days of being in her comatose state. The doctors were unable to revive her and pronounced her dead at 7:15 PM on July 16. Lindsey became hysterical upon learning that her daughter had died. Bruce comforted her the best he could. Everyone else was just as saddened by Beverley's death. The last four months had been tough for Bruce and Lindsey.

Lindsey turned her attention to the next page. She glanced at a picture of Beverley holding her hands above her head at five months old. Beverley lay on her back on a blanket. Lindsey looked at another picture of herself sitting on the floor while holding her baby by her waist in her lap and smiling widely. Beverley had her hands over her mouth. Lindsey tilted her head to the right.

"I wish you could be here, my darling. Jake and Neytiri are expecting their first child. They are eagerly anticipating its birth. Mo'at is very excited about becoming a grandmother. I look at the three of them. They're one happy family. Bruce and I were happy with you too. We miss you so much," Lindsey cried.

Lindsey choked back a sob and squeezed her eyes shut to keep tears from forming in them. She was unable to, and the tears flowed freely. She held her breath as she lifted her exopack upward to wipe them away. She put it back on, letting out a long exhale. Footsteps caught her attention, and she looked up to see Mo'at approaching her.

"Oel ngati kameie, Mo'at," Lindsey said.

"Oel ngati kameie, Lindsey," Mo'at replied as she stopped beside the log.

"What are you doing here?" Lindsey asked and laid the album back in her lap.

"I decided to visit you at Hell's Gate, but Bruce told me you weren't there. He said I'd find you here," Mo'at explained.

"I see," Lindsay said with a nod. "It's not every day that you visit that place."

"I don't go there very often, but it's good to see my human friends from time to time," Mo'at commented gently.

"The same goes for you and the rest of the Omaticaya at Hometree," Lindsey responded.

Mo'at nodded at Lindsey. She looked toward the mother hexapede and her twins. She watched them graze on the leaves of a bush. She turned back to Lindsey. She noticed the redness in her eyes.

"You've been crying," Mo'at said.

"Unfortunately," Lindsey muttered and shuddered somewhat. "I'm sorry. I can't help it. My little girl is constantly on my mind."

"There's no need to apologize," Mo'at replied and sat beside Lindsey. "It's okay to cry over the loss of your child."

"Back on Earth, some humans would reprimand you for crying. They'd call you a crybaby and tell you to suck it up. They see the showing of any emotion as a sign of weakness," Lindsey said in irritation.

"Showing emotion isn't a sign of weakness. It helps to release the frustrations you've been holding back," Mo'at said.

"At least my parents never considered showing emotion as a weakness. Bruce's didn't either," Lindsey whispered in relief. "In fact, they encouraged us to show emotion. They saw it as a way of releasing the tension in our bodies."

"That's good. Holding everything inside doesn't help. It just makes things worse," Mo'at said.

"Oh, yes," Lindsey said and let out a shuddering cry. "I know it's been four months since Beverley died, but I can't stop thinking about her. Every place I've taken her to reminds me of her. It's like she's still there."

Lindsey bowed her head and touched the top of it. Mo'at showed nothing but sympathy for her. She reached out to touch her shoulder. Lindsey looked up at the tsahik.

"I know that you miss Beverley," Mo'at whispered soothingly. "I do too. She was such a gorgeous baby."

"You have no idea. Everyone kept telling Bruce and me she was the most beautiful human baby in the whole universe," Lindsey said.

"Jake and Neytiri told me she was small compared to a Na'vi baby," Mo'at said. "When you and Bruce brought her to Hometree for the first time, I was astounded at how small she really was. Some Omaticaya were uncertain about holding her."

"But you did just fine once Jake showed you how to hold her," Lindsey pointed out.

"I was amazed at how she just relaxed in my arms," Mo'at said in warmness.

"I know. She really liked you. She liked most everyone," Lindsey said and licked her lips. "I solved the problem of breastfeeding her while at Hometree by going into the Samson and closing the doors to the cargo area."

"Bruce told everyone not to disturb you two. He was very serious about it," Mo'at said and pulled her hand away from Lindsey.

"Mm-hmm," Lindsey agreed.

Lindsey closed her album and laid her hands on top of it. She observed Mo'at laying hers in her lap. She saw her ears twitch.

"I miss Sylwanin just as much as you miss Beverley. Not a day goes that I don't think of her," Mo'at whispered, a soft sigh coming out of her mouth. "Sometimes, I see her in my dreams."

"I see Beverley in my dreams too. I see her beautiful smile and her reaching for my face while I'm holding her," Lindsey said.

"I see Sylwanin holding her arms out for me," Mo'at said, laying her hand over her heart. "I embrace her, not wanting to let her go."

"From what I saw in Grace's pictures, Sylwanin was just as beautiful as Neytiri. I'd say they could've been mistaken for twins if Sylwanin wasn't taller than Neytiri. They looked that much alike," Lindsey said, cupping her chin in her hand.

"Believe me. No one had trouble telling them apart," Mo'at answered.

Lindsey shifted her position on the log somewhat. She and Mo'at looked toward the hexapedes. The calves wrestled with each other.

"Learning that Sylwanin had been killed was the worst day of my life," Mo'at muttered, sniffling quietly. "I felt like my heart had been ripped out of my chest and torn into two. I became hysterical like you did when you learned Beverley had died. I was screaming that it wasn't true. Eytukan held me and managed to calm me down."

"Just like Bruce did with me," Lindsey said.

"Yes," Mo'at said with a nod. "Eytukan and I didn't want to exile Grace and her friends from Old Hometree, but we felt we had no choice. We didn't want anyone else to suffer the same fate as Sylwanin. My heart was heavy when we declared the dreamwalkers were no longer welcome."

"I can't imagine why it wouldn't be," Lindsey said.

"I kept to myself most of the time for several months. There were a few occasions where I couldn't even perform my duties as tsahik. Sylwanin's death affected me that much," Mo'at admitted grimly and felt a tear slide down her cheek.

"What you just told me describes my grief in losing Beverley. She was the light of my life. I was so happy to be a mother. Then she fell ill without warning and died. It was like she was ripped from my arms and taken away. It seemed so unfair. What did Bruce and I do to deserve this?" Lindsey yelled, her voice cracking.

Lindsey started crying, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her body trembled badly. Mo'at slipped her arms around her, allowing her to bury her face into her chest. She made soft shushing sounds while rocking her back and forth.

"You and Bruce didn't do anything wrong, Lindsey. Beverley just got sick. Many babies do," Mo'at whispered in comfort.

"Maybe if we had seen an early sign that she was sick, then we could've acted faster to save her," Lindsey cried.

"There was nothing you could've done. It happened so fast," Mo'at said and rubbed Lindsey's back.

"We should've seen something. We should've—" Lindsey started.

"I know," Mo'at interrupted tenderly and pushed her friend back to look at her. "Unfortunately, what happened did happen. There's no turning back. All you can do is move forward."

"I know that, but it's so painful," Lindsey muttered and choked back a sob.

"I understand. I still feel the pain of Sylwanin's death," Mo'at murmured, lowering her ears in sadness. "The pain of losing a child never really goes away. It just becomes easier to cope with."

"Do you think I'll be able to cope with the pain of losing Beverley eventually?" Lindsey wondered.

"I believe you will. You have a strong heart and spirit. You'd never let grief consume you," Mo'at answered truthfully.

"Thank you," Lindsey replied.

Lindsey inhaled and removed her exopack. She wiped the tears from her eyes and cheeks before rubbing her nose. She placed her exopack back on and exhaled rapidly. Her trembles had ceased completely.

"I had a dream of Sylwanin holding Beverley just last night," Mo'at said.

"You did?" Lindsey asked, furrowing her brow.

"Yes," Mo'at answered, nodding slowly.

"Tell me about it," Lindsey said.

"Okay," Mo'at said and cleared her throat. "I was walking through a field filled with flowers when I saw Sylwanin standing a short distance away. I approached her and noticed someone familiar in her arms. It was Beverley herself. She smiled at me and tried to reach for one of my braids. Sylwanin gave me a small smile. She told me to tell you she'd take care of Beverley until you and Bruce were ready to join her in Eywa. She said spoke that your parents were with the Great Mother and would also take care of her."

Lindsey closed her eyes and sighed in much warmth. She felt all of her sadness leave her body. She opened her eyes slowly. Mo'at smiled at her and touched the back of the young woman's head.

"Though our daughters aren't with us, they still live within Eywa. She will always care for them and the rest of our loved ones. Whenever we think of the wonderful memories we shared with them, they are there beside us," Mo'at said with much love.

"Thank you, Mo'at. Thank you so much for comforting me over my daughter's death," Lindsey replied.

"You're welcome," Mo'at said.

"Though I'm still hurting, I think I will be okay," Lindsey murmured.

"I'm glad," Mo'at commented happily.

"It is good to know my daughter is living within Eywa. I find it incredible that she exists. Not once did I think she was real until I learned the wildlife attacked Quaritch and his goons without warning," Lindsey said, allowing a smile to cross her lips.

"I understand you didn't think she was real at first, but it's true. Sylwanin and Beverley will always live within her," Mo'at responded.

"I can honestly say I believe in her now," Lindsey said, tapping her finger on the album.

Mo'at ran her hand over her friend's hair. Lindsey took several deep breaths before pulling the album against her chest.

"Whenever you need to talk mother-to-mother, you can come to me or any of the other mothers in my clan," Mo'at said.

"Neytiri will be one of those mothers soon," Lindsey pointed out.

"I know," Mo'at said and smile lightly.

"Do you think Bruce and I will have another child someday?" Lindsey asked.

"I hope you do, but it's up to Eywa to decide if you will," Mo'at answered honestly.

"I understand that. Then again, I still feel like a mother. The Omaticaya kids see me as one," Lindsey said.

"They sure do," Mo'at agreed.

Lindsey let out a small laugh. She laid her album back down in her lap. She slid her fingertips over the dragon. She gazed at Mo'at, who tilted her head to the left.

"Would you like to look at my pictures of Beverley with me?" Lindsey asked and moved her hand to the album's edge.

"Of course," Mo'at answered, her smile growing wider.

Lindsey opened the album and tapped her finger on a picture of Beverley laying on her back on a blanket and playing with her foot at six months old. She spoke inaudible words to Mo'at, who chuckled quietly. Though the two mothers would always grieve for Beverley and Sylwanin, they knew that Eywa would care for them until they were ready to join them. They still had the wonderful memories of their daughters to hold on to.

THE END


End file.
